Gaofen (Chinese: 高分; pinyin: Gāofēn; literally: 'high resolution') is a series of Chinese high-resolution Earth imaging satellites for the China High-resolution Earth Observation System (CHEOS) program.[1][2] Unlike the Yaogan program of military reconnaissance satellites, CHEOS is a state-sponsored, civilian Earth-observation program used for agricultural, disaster, resource, and environmental monitoring. Proposed in 2006 and approved in 2010, the CHEOS program consists of the Gaofen series of space-based satellites, near-space and airborne systems such as airships and UAVs, ground systems that conduct data receipt, processing, calibration, and taskings, and a system of applications that fuse observation data with other sources to produce usable information and knowledge.[2][3]
In 2003, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) agreed with Roscosomos to share Gaofen data for data from Russia's Earth observation satellites of similar capability. This agreement was expanded in August 2021 when leaders from BRICS space agencies agreed to share space-based remote sensing data.[4]
Designation | COSPAR ID | NORAD / SCN | Launch date (UTC) |
Launch vehicle | Launch site | Orbit | Status | Remarks | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gaofen 1 | 2013-018A | 39150 | 26 April 2013 | Long March 2D | Jiuquan SLC | 35 km × 662 km, 98.36 | Operational | Carried TurkSat-3USat, CubeBug 1, NEE 01 Pegaso | [5] |
Gaofen 1-02 | 2018-031A | 43259 | 31 March 2018 | Long March 4C | Taiyuan SLC | 638 km × 642 km, 98.04° | Operational | [6] | |
Gaofen 1-03 | 2018-031B | 43260 | 31 March 2018 | Long March 4C | Taiyuan SLC | 638 km × 642 km, 98.04° | Operational | [6] | |
Gaofen 1-04 | 2018-031D | 43262 | 31 March 2018 | Long March 4C | Taiyuan SLC | 638 km × 642 km, 98.04° | Operational | [6] | |
Gaofen 2 | 2014-049A | 40118 | 19 August 2014 | Long March 4B | Taiyuan SLC | 619.4 km × 628.9 km | Operational | [7] | |
Gaofen 3 | 2016-049A | 41727 | 9 August 2016 | Long March 4C | Taiyuan SLC | 747.3 km × 749.3 km | Operational | [8] | |
Gaofen 3-02 | 2021-109A | 49495 | 22 November 2021 | Long March 4C | Jiuquan SLC | 747.3 km × 749.3 km | Operational | ||
Gaofen 3-03 | 2022-035A | 52200 | 6 April 2022 | Long March 4C | Jiuquan SLC | 747.3 km × 749.3 km | Operational | [9] | |
Gaofen 4 | 2015-083A | 41194 | 28 December 2015 | Long March 3B | Xichang SLC | 35765.3 km × 35810.9 km | Operational | [10] | |
Gaofen 5 | 2018-043A | 43461 | 8 May 2018 | Long March 4C | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [11] | ||
Gaofen 5-02 | 2021-079A | 49122 | 7 September 2021 | Long March 4C | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [11] | ||
Gaofen 6 | 2018-048A | 43484 | 2 June 2018 | Long March 2D | Jiuquan SLC | Operational | [12] | ||
Gaofen 7 | 2019-072A | 44703 | 3 November 2019 | Long March 4B | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [13] | ||
Gaofen 8 | 2015-030A | 40701 | 26 June 2015 | Long March 4B | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [14] | ||
Gaofen 9-01 | 2015-047A | 40894 | 14 September 2015 | Long March 2D | Jiuquan SLC | Operational | [15] | ||
Gaofen 9-02 | 2020-034B | 45625 | 31 May 2020 | Long March 2D | Jiuquan SLC | Operational | [15] | ||
Gaofen 9-03 | 2020-039A | 45794 | 17 June 2020 | Long March 2D | Jiuquan SLC | Operational | [15] | ||
Gaofen 9-04 | 2020-054A | 46025 | 6 August 2020 | Long March 2D | Jiuquan SLC | Operational | [15] | ||
Gaofen 10R | 2019-066A | 44622 | 4 October 2019 | Long March 4C | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [16] | ||
Gaofen 11-01 | 2018-063A | 43585 | 31 July 2018 | Long March 4B | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [17] | ||
Gaofen 11-02 | 2020-064A | 46396 | 7 September 2020 | Long March 4B | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [1] | ||
Gaofen 11-03 | 2021-107A | 49492 | 20 November 2021 | Long March 4B | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | |||
Gaofen 12 | 2019-082A | 44819 | 27 November 2019 | Long March 4C | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [18] | ||
Gaofen 12-02 | 2021-026A | 48079 | 30 March 2021 | Long March 4C | Jiuquan SLC | Operational | [19] | ||
Gaofen 12-03 | 2022-069A | 52912 | 27 June 2022 | Long March 4C | Jiuquan SLC | Operational | |||
Gaofen 13 | 2020-071A | 46610 | 11 October 2020 | Long March 3B | Xichang SLC | Operational | [20] | ||
Gaofen 14 | 2020-092A | 47231 | 6 December 2020 | Long March 3B/G5 | Xichang SLC | Operational | [21] | ||
Gaofen DUOMO (GFDM) | 2020-042A | 45856 | 3 July 2020 | Long March 4B | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [22] | ||
JILIN-1 Gaofen 02A | 2019-075A | 44777 | 13 November 2019 | Kuaizhou-1A | Jiuquan SLC | Operational | [23] | ||
JILIN-1 Gaofen 02B | 2019-086A | 44836 | 7 December 2019 | Kuaizhou-1A | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [23] | ||
JILIN-1 Gaofen 02C | Launch failure | Launch failure | 12 September 2020 | Kuaizhou-1A | Jiuquan SLC | N/A | Launch failure | [24] | |
JILIN-1 Gaofen 02D | 2021-086A | 49256 | 27 September 2021 | Kuaizhou-1A | Jiuquan SLC | Operational | [23] | ||
JILIN-1 Gaofen 02E | Launch failure | Launch failure | 10 July 2020 | Kuaizhou-11 | Jiuquan SLC | N/A | Launch failure | [23] | |
JILIN-1 Gaofen 02F | 2021-097A | 49338 | 27 October 2021 | Kuaizhou-1A | Jiuquan SLC | Operational | [23] | ||
JILIN-1 Gaofen 03B | 2020-065A 2020-065B 2020-065C 2020-065D 2020-065E 2020-065F |
46454 |
15 September 2020 | Long March 11H | Sea Launch Platform | Operational | [24] | ||
JILIN-1 Gaofen 03C | 2020-065G 2020-065H 2020-065J |
46460 |
15 September 2020 | 15 September 2020 | Sea Launch Platform | Operational | [24] | ||
JILIN-1 Gaofen 03D | 2021-061A 2021-061B 2021-061C 2020-061D 2020-061E |
49003 |
3 July 2021 | Long March 2D | Taiyuan SLC | Operational | [24] |